The Cathedral of Saint Andrew is the largest Orthodox church in Greece and one of the most imposing in the Balkans. Built between 1908 and 1974 on the site where the apostle was martyred, it dominates the southwestern waterfront of Patras with its four towers and its Byzantine-inspired dome visible from the sea. The scale is deliberately imperial — this is a pilgrimage church, intended to receive the faithful in large numbers — and the interior lives up to the exterior, with elaborate gilded iconostasis and fine mosaics.
The relics of Saint Andrew are the main focus of pilgrimage: the skull in its elaborate reliquary is displayed for veneration, and a piece of the X-shaped cross on which he was crucified is also held here. The feast day of Saint Andrew (November 30th) draws large crowds of pilgrims from across Greece and Orthodox communities worldwide. Outside major feast days, the cathedral is open to visitors throughout the day. The smaller old cathedral adjacent to the main building is worth a look — it's more intimate and preserves a different atmosphere than the monumental new structure.